Fatal accident in Eagle County

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EAGLE COUNTY - A man was killed after his sport utility vehicle veered off Forest Service Road 700 in Eagle County around 5:45 Saturday morning.

Colorado State Patrol responded to a 7:29 a.m. call Saturday reporting a mid-sized sport utility vehicle that had crashed into a ravine off Forest Service Road 700, which includes both Muddy Pass Road and Red Sandstone Road. The accident happened about 12.4 miles from Highway 131, said Colorado State Patrol Trooper Nate Reid.

The vehicle was traveling eastbound when it went off the left side of the road and rolled down about 130 feet to an embankment, Reid said. The male driver, whose identify has not yet been released, was ejected from the vehicle. There were no other passengers in the vehicle, Reid said.

Reid, a public information officer for the state patrol, said the driver was not wearing a seatbelt. The road conditions at the scene were described by investigating officers as snowy and icy, he said.

Alcohol is not suspected at this time, although police are continuing to investigate the cause of the accident. Reid said the driver was possibly driving too fast for the conditions.

A call to the Eagle County coroner for information about cause of death and the man's identity was not immediately returned Saturday afternoon.